At-Home Lessons for Kids: STEM, Art & Education Resources

Keep your kids learning while at home from school with the following STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), art and general education programs.

Education Courses & STEM Learning

Baldwin Wallace Community Arts School
As part of its Unboxed visual arts program, virtual classes are led by BW CAS faculty and are specifically designed for an online, 5-week format. Students will receive weekly interactive video lessons and opportunities for personalized feedback from the instructor. All class materials will be shipped directly to your door before the program begins.

Beck Center for the ArtsOn its Facebook page, Beck Center for the Arts offers the #BeckAtHome series of videos. The videos feature instructors who provide activities and resources to continue your arts education. Examples include ballet, yoga, early childhood music and theater, youth theater, visual arts and more.

Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will launch weekday Virtual Classroom on Facebook Live starting March 17 at 11 a.m. Join biologists as they secure a future for wildlife at the zoo. At 1 p.m., join our naturalists as they look for signs of spring, discover wildlife and more. New animals and adventures each weekday!

FunbrainFunbrain features educational games, videos and books for kids in preschool through eighth grade. The content is leveled, which means your fourth grader will not see problems designed for a kindergarten student. Funbrain offers digital copies of books for students to read; the books are published online in their entirety.

Girl Scouts of North East OhioGirl Scouts at Home offers lessons, activities, and badge-earning instructions divided by age. Also find free printables, storytimes, sing-alongs and more.

Great Lakes Science Center’s Curiosity Corner LiveCuriosity Corner Live builds off the Curiosity Corner blog that was launched last year on the Science Center’s website and will appeal to families looking for virtual options from trusted sources as they stay at home rather than going out to a museum, sporting event, or other public gathering.This new web-based series of STEM curriculum and programming is accessible via the Science Center’s YouTube channel, with new content posted every weekday, including experiments you can do at home, exclusive content filmed at the Science Center, quizzes, games and more. Follow the Science Center on social media for announcements when new videos are posted and check out the debut video here.

Other GooseTo support all quarantined families, Other Goose’s charter school-approved curriculum is 100% free for the next three weeks. Simply click here, create a profile for your kids’ ages (2-7 years), and get started with simple, easy to implement ideas or lessons for the kids to try every day.

OutschoolOutschool is a resource for those wanting to keep their kids engaged and learning from home with over 10,000 live, online classes conducted via video chat. Outschool classes can be used to fill in gaps where school districts are unable to provide full-time remote schooling. Outschool teachers are background checked and classes are vetted to ensure they are safe, age-appropriate, objective and secular. Outschool is offering free classes for families (limit $200 per family) affected by school shutdowns at public schools. Read the full announcement by clicking here.

PBS Kids
PBS Kids has created a free, daily email newsletter with educational activities for parents of young children. These activities can help engage children in both learning and playtime; click here to subscribe.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fane
Register at no cost for Rock Hall EDU, a free digital learning platform that is full of resources and activities that use the power of rock & roll to engage students of all ages. Access lesson plans, artifact images and materials, videos, playlists and writing prompts all designed by the Rock Hall’s education staff.

ScholasticScholastic has launched a “Learn at Home” website that has daily courses for students from pre-k to grades six and higher. The website, which is divided into four sections based on grade level, currently has five days’ worth of content, with an additional 15 days of content to follow soon.

Opportunities for Art

All Fired Up in Medina and Akron are offering to-go pottery painting kits. See below for details about each location:All Fired Up Medina: Pick out a piece of pottery and the cost is the price of the pottery plus the 50% studio fee, as usual. This includes two paints of your choice (additional colors will be $3 each). Instructions are included; orders and payment can be made over the phone or you can stop in to create your personalized kit. Curbside pick-up is available. Bring back your painted pottery for the final firing at your convenience. 330-723-1112

All Fired Up Akron: Choose a custom package to fit your needs. Price is per piece, and will include all the materials needed to complete your project: six paints in rainbow colors, two brushes, a sponge and instructions. Bring back your pottery to have it glazed and fired. 330-865-5858

AR Workshop
Turn your “bored” into “boards!” with easy and fun DIY kits for all ages from AR Workshop, located in Hudson. Kits include all needed materials: stencils, wood, a stain color, paint choices, brushes and instructions.

Art for Kids HubArt for Kids Hub is a family-friendly YouTube channel that teaches children how to draw in a fun way. Each video includes the leading artist, Rob, and one of his four children drawing alongside him. On-screen, he’ll draw a line or shape, and then his co-artist will draw the same thing. The camera shows both drawings side by side so the viewers can see exactly what to do. Kids can pause the video while they draw or rewatch a section if they don’t understand the instructions.

Busy Bees Pottery & Arts Studio, located in Mentor, also is offering to-go kits. Email [email protected] or call 440-571-5201 to place an order. Kits can be picked out in person between the hours of noon-5 p.m. Curbside pick-up is available.

Color Me Mine in Orange Village and Akron are offering to-go kits to keep kids busy while they are home from school. Pick six paint colors of your choice and a piece you would like to paint, then paint in the comfort of home. Drive-through pick up is available; shipping also is available for an extra fee of $8. Call or visit each studio’s website for more information:Color me Mine Orange Village, 216-862-6309Color Me Mine Akron, 330-849-5199

About the author

Denise Koeth is managing/digital editor of Northeast Ohio Parent. She writes for and assists with production of the print magazine, as well as manages digital content on the NortheastOhioParent.com website and oversees the brand’s social media activity. Denise grew up in Northeast Ohio and she and her husband are currently raising their two boys here.